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"Bugs Under the Skin" Disease

Sep 28, 2010 | By Kevin Connolly

Morgellons Disease is a poorly understood skin condition of unknown cause that may be characterized by the sensation of skin movement or "bugs under the skin," and may be accompanied by a variety of other dermatological, muscular, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It is unclear how many people have the disease, as many cases are self-reported. Morgellons affects men and women, and exhibits no preferences for age or race.

History

The term "Morgellons Disease" was first used in 2002 to describe the pathology of a young boy who exhibited symptoms that were unrecognized by physicians. A search of historical medical texts by the boy's mother uncovered pediatric cases of a similar condition, called "The Morgellons," that were recorded by Sir Thomas Browne in 1674. Early descriptions of The Morgellons were limited to only a subset of the symptoms that are common to the modern description of the disease, particularly the presence of dermal fibers and sensation of movement.

Symptoms

An official definition of the disease has not been adopted, making an accurate diagnosis of Morgellons challenging. A working definition, proposed by the Morgellons Research Foundation, identifies the unique symptom of the disease as microscopic, colored filaments protruding from skin. Other common symptoms include: movement, stinging or biting sensations beneath the surface of the skin; painful skin lesions that appear spontaneously; muscle and joint pain; cognitive dysfunction; and emotional effects similar to bipolar illness. Additionally, frequent changes in visual acuity, gastrointestinal symptoms, and changes in skin texture and pigment have been reported. A blood test of a Morgellons patients may also show elevated inflammatory and immunodeficiency markers, or abnormal red blood cells.

Cause

The cause of Morgellons is unknown. Potential causes include immune disorders, chronic inflammatory processes, or infectious agents. Preliminary data from the Morgellons Research Foundation suggests a species of plant bacterium, Agrobacterium, may be a causative agent, although this needs to be confirmed, according to the State University of New York-Stony Brook. There are also medical scientists who believe that some suspected Morgellons patients may actually have delusional parasitosis, a condition where the patient has the mistaken belief that she is being infested with parasites. For example, one published case of potential Morgellons was successfully treated with olanzapine, a psychiatric drug, according to an article posted in the "Archives of Dermatology."

Treatment

Since the cause of Morgellons is not understood, an appropriate treatment cannot be determined. There has been unpublished reports that antibiotics may be effective against some of the symptoms, although they are not effective in all cases, according to an article in Discover magazine. It is important that a suspected Morgellons sufferer seek the advice of a qualified health-care provider before using any product as a treatment.

Controversy

The scarcity of information and absence of a generally accepted definition for Morgellons disease have hindered its recognition by the greater medical community. Researchers point to the mysterious filaments as indicative of a new pathology; skeptics observe that several of the symptoms may suggest other conditions. Further research, such as the large-scale effort currently underway by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will be necessary to settle this debate and move toward a treatment.

References

Article reviewed by GlennK Last updated on: Sep 28, 2010

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